Improvement in machines for pressing hats



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MONROE. MORSE AND CHARLES H. MORSE, OF FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR PRESSING HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 69,358, dated October l, 1867.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that We, MONROE MORSE and CHARLES H. MoRsE, both of Franklin, iu the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Pressing Hats, Bonnets, Snc. 5 and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a plan of a machine with our improvement attached. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, and Fio. 3 is a side elevation.

The subject -matter of our invention is an improvement in machines for pressing hats, bonnets, Sac., in which a solid heated female die or mold is used, having the form of the exterior of the article to be pressed, in connection with au elastic or flexible male die or mold, which has the capacity of adapting itself to the form of the other.

In the making of hats, bonnets, 85e., it is necessary to change the dies often in order to change their sizes to meet the requirements of the business; and to do this with the machines before used requires considerable time, and is also inconvenient, on account of their being hot, and also that it opens the steam-chest in which the molds are placed to heat them.

The purpose of our invention is to obviate these difficulties; and consists in mounting a series of molds upon a movable steam-chest or other suitable heating apparatus, so arranged, in combination With the other operative parts of the machine, that either of the molds may be brought into the position to Work With the male die without either removing it from the heater or disconnecting the steam-pipes.

To accomplish this we have made the steamchest or heater of a circular form, and mounted it upon trunuions, so that it can revolve, and arranged the molds around the circumference, as is shown in the drawings, with the steampipes led through the trunnions; but other forms of arranging the parts might be used which would accomplish the same purpose.

In the drawings, Ais the steam-chest, made in circular form, and provided with the trunnions a a, by means of which it is mounted in the frame B of the machine, as shown. C C U are the female dies or molds, made to the various forms and sizes of the articles to be pressed, and bolted to seats c c c, provided for the purpose, around the periphery of the steam chest, and making part of the same.

The trunnions a a of the steam-chest A are provided with stufling-boxes d d, for packing the steam-pipe c and drain-pipe f so as to make them steam-tight. By this arrangement We are enabled to revolve the steam-chest A, and bring either one of the series of female dies or molds into position to work with the male die D at pleasure, and to press several different sizes or styles of hats or bonnets on the same machine Without removing the molds.

The pin g and holes h h in the top of the steam-chest are used for the purpose of locking the steam-chest in position for working with the male die.

D is the male die, made of au elastic substance, and of such a form that it may readily adapt itself to the various forms and sizes in the series of molds with wh ich it is required to work, and is constructed and operated in a manner well known to the trade; and as our invention does not pertain to this part of the machine, it need not be furtherdescribed.

The operation of our invention is as follows: When it is found desirable to change from one size or style of hat to another, all that is necessary to do is to remove the pin g, revolve the steam-chest till the desired mold is brought into position to work with the male die, replace the pin g, which locks the steam-chest, and the machine is again ready for operatin 0'.

Although we have shown and described our invention as applied to a machine that employs an elastic or flexible male die in combination with the molds, which is the way that we have successfully used it, it is obvious that it may be also employed in other cases where it may be desired to bring a series of heated molds successively to the same position 5 and the iuvention may also be practiced by arranging a series of solid male dies, instead of the female dies or molds, around the steam-chest, each of which may be brought to the some position to parts of the machine Without disconnecting,1

be worked. the molds from the steam-chest, snbstautiallbf What We claim as our invention isas described.

A series of dies or molds combined with a, MONROE MORSE. movable or revolving steam-chest to heat the OHAS. H. MORSE. same, so that by the movement of the steztm- Witnesses: chest either of said molds may be brought to ROBERT H. BRUCE,

the proper place to (1o-operate with the other GARDNER ADAMS. 

